At first sight, it looks exactly like XC90, but there is a significant departure from its predecessor, as Volvo dropped the boxy design in favor of a sportier roof section with a raked rear windscreen.

Although it looks sporty and modern, the new styling might prove upsetting to old-school enthusiasts, not to mention that it may impact trunk space.

Interior

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Much like the exterior, the V90’s interior is also be based on the S90’s. Both the front and rear passenger compartments appear to be identical in terms of styling and equipment, meaning the wagon comes with the same dashboard with large wood inserts and vertical A/C vents flanking the tablet-like touchscreen, a tall and clean center console, and an overall premium feel — thanks to the numerous soft-touch surfaces and excellent fit and finish.

Long story short, the V90 is quite fancy for a wagon, even if compared with products from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

While leg, shoulder, and headroom will remain similar for the rear-seat passengers, luggage space should increase dramatically thanks to the wagon configuration. A foldable rear seat will further increase cargo room, making the V90 not only one of the most luxurious wagons on the market but also a practical grocery getter and a perfect vacation car. Volvo has yet to release full specs for the V90, but we’ll be back to update this section as soon as we have more info.

Under the hood

The V90 T8 shares the same all-wheel-drive Scalable Product Architecture with the XC90 T8, and has the same 9.2 kWh lithium-ion battery (6.7 kWh usable).

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The new V90 is the third car unveiled in Volvo’s top-of-the-line 90 series, all of which are built on the company’s specially-designed and fully modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

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So, we might assume that V90 uses the same drivetrains as its predecessor XC90 --maybe we are wrong, but at least it sounds logical and natural due to the fact that S90 and XC90 ride on the same architecture.

And, as you might guess, it means that most of the juice comes from 2.0-liter, turbocharged and supercharged four-banger and a 60-kW (80-horsepower) electric motor.

The combo delivers 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.

Cool gizmos

The V90 features Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive technology, advanced standard safety package on the market with large animal detection and run-off-road mitigation, and class-leading connectivity including smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay.

Let's talk about some of these cool gizmos in more detail.

Safety features

The V90’s safety features should mimic those of the sedan, meaning Lane Keeping Aid, Driver Alert Control, Road Sign Information, Run-off Road Mitigation, Run-off Road Protection, and the City Safety package will be standard.

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The latter is able to detect vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and large animals and it’s always active above 2.5 mph(4km/h).

Just like the S90, the V90 will be a semi-autonomous vehicle thanks to Volvo’s brand-new Pilot Assist feature. When activated, the system controls acceleration, braking and steering in order to help the driver follow the traffic flow within the current lane. The system reduces driver strain in tedious situations and increases safety while also delivering enhanced speed and distance keeping in the lane.

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A few words about V90 from Volvo employees

“We have a very strong position in the estate segment,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.

“In many people’s minds, we are known as the definitive estate brand. While the Volvo brand today stands for more than estates, we are proud to carry forward this rich heritage with the V90.”

“The modern premium estate is all about the intriguing combination of a luxurious experience with the functional origins of the estates silhouette. The sophisticated ambiance of our new Volvo Interiors is combined with a great cargo space, providing the right kind of functionality -- whether through connectivity or cargo and storage solutions,” said Thomas Ingenlath senior vice president for design at Volvo Cars.

“We have a very strong offer in the V90. Our PowerPulse technology is designed to deliver a distinct performance boost to our diesel engine while the T8 Twin Engine petrol plug-in hybrid will deliver around 410 hp and a pure electric range of around 50 km,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

Price

With the S90 likely to start from around $46,000 in the U.S., the V90 should fetch less than $50K in standard trim.

Verdict

Much like the S90 before it, the V90 promises to be a revolutionary car for Swedish brand. The cabin brings more luxury than any other Volvo wagon before it while the drivetrains seem to provide the perfect combination of power and efficiency. As far as styling goes, the V90 could go either way,as it really depends on where you stand.

If you’re among those who disliked previous Volvo wagons because of their boxy rear ends, you’ll probably find the new V90 quite pleasant to look at.

Old-school enthusiasts, on the other, might reject the sportier roof and raked rear windscreen and give Volvo heat for betraying its roots.

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Personally, I do like old and boxy Volvo designs and I wholeheartedly believe that the V90 will turn out to be a gorgeous wagon. My only concern is that the massive cargo room that usually comes with Volvo wagons might decrease due to the new tailgate design.

However, as practice shows, Volvo comes up with the clever solutions all the time.